Detour to Sonora: Our First Stop on the Road to Big Bend
Detour ahead issue #18, Family Road Trip, The Caverns of Sonora, Chicken Salad, Garlic Butter Shrimp, and a Simple Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing
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We just got back from our first family RV trip since the kids left for college. There were a few hiccups along the way (more on that in the next newsletter), but overall, it felt really good to be back on the road together.
It was me, Ken, Jacob, his girlfriend Olivia, and Sheena packed into the RV for a five-day road trip out to West Texas. Jacob had been wanting to do some serious stargazing, and Big Bend has some of the darkest skies in the country, so that became the destination.
Our first stop was Sonora, Texas—about halfway between home and Big Bend—and home to one of the most beautiful caves in the country. If you’ve never been to the Caverns of Sonora, you should add it to your list.
The Story Behind the Caverns
The land where the Caverns of Sonora sit has been part of the Mayfield family ranch since the early 1900s. The original cave entrance was discovered when the owner’s dog chased a raccoon into a narrow 20-inch hole in the rocks. Locals started poking around in the early 1920s and could only get back about 500 feet before hitting a fifty-foot pit. That area became known as Mayfield Cave, and it stayed mostly untouched for a few decades.
“It’s Beauty Can Not be Exaggerated, Not Even By A Texan.”-Bill Stephenson, founder of the National Speleological Society
Then came Labor Day weekend in 1955. A group of cavers from Abilene had been exploring another cave nearby and decided to stop by the Mayfield Ranch to check out the one they’d heard about. They made it as far as the big pit, spotted some high-up passages that looked promising, but ran out of time and had to leave.
Two weeks later, a different group of cavers came back and managed to cross a narrow ledge along the side of that deep pit. What they found on the other side was something out of a fairy tale: a hidden world of crystal formations, winding passages, and underground rooms that had been forming for millions of years. Word got out quickly, and the caving community started buzzing about the discovery.
In 1956, a caver named Jack Burch visited and realized the cave was already starting to show signs of damage from too many people wandering through. He had a vision to protect and preserve it by developing it for guided tours. Work started in 1959, and the Caverns of Sonora officially opened to the public in July of 1960.
Caverns Of Sonora | Texas Speleological Survey | TSS | Cave Records | Publications | National Speleological Society | NSS | Study Group. (n.d.). https://www.texasspeleologicalsurvey.org/showcaves/tsssonora.php
What makes this cave so special is how incredibly decorated it is. Every room is filled with bizarre and beautiful formations—crystals, ribbons, soda straws, helictites—all still growing today. It’s now recognized as one of the most stunning show caves in the world and has even been designated a National Natural Landmark.
Today, the cave is still privately owned and family-run, which gives the whole experience a laid-back, personal feel.
Caverns of Sonora RV Park
We stayed at the Caverns of Sonora RV Park, which is right next to the cave entrance. I’ll be honest—it’s not the most glamorous RV park we’ve stayed at. No full hook-ups, just water and electric, and the bathrooms and picnic tables could use a little TLC.
Also, beware. There is no cell service in the area. Between the 4 of us, we had ATT and T-Mobile, and none of us was able to get a signal. We also took our T-Mobile Hot Spot and were not able to connect.
But for $25 a night, it worked perfectly as a one-night stop. Plus, the location can’t be beat. You can wake up, grab a coffee, and stroll over to the gift shop to buy your tour tickets.
Speaking of the gift shop—it’s small, but full of charm. They sell everything from geodes and fossils to gemstone jewelry and t-shirts. It’s also where you’ll book your cave tour ($28 per person, which felt totally fair for the experience).
And did I mention the peacocks? Yep. There are beautiful peacocks just wandering around the grounds. I must have taken fifty photos of them while we waited for the tour to start.
The Cavern Tour
We did the 8:00 a.m. tour on Wednesday morning, and I’m really glad we went early. It ended up being just the four of us and one other man traveling with his young daughter, so it felt like a private tour, which was a nice bonus.
The guide was friendly and knowledgeable, and the formations inside the cave were stunning—intricate, delicate, and lit in a way that really lets you appreciate the natural beauty. You’ll see formations with names like “The Butterfly” and “Snake Pit,” and the guide shares how each one got its name (along with plenty of geology facts, if you’re into that).
At one point during the tour, our guide had us sit down, and she turned off all the lights. I’ve never felt darkness like that before. Total blackness. You could hear every tiny drip echoing through the cave—it was like listening to the earth still at work.
The temperature inside stays around 78°F year-round, but with high humidity, so everything stays wet. I wouldn’t recommend wearing light colored clothing because your hands can get stained orange due to the presence of mineral deposits containing iron oxide on the hand railings. It washed off our skin, but we were warned that it would stain our clothing.
The entire tour took about 1 hour and 45 minutes, and it was worth every minute.
After our tour, we loaded up and headed to Big Bend. More on that to come…
Recipes from this week
I didn’t cook a ton on this trip—between all the driving, exploring, and activities, I wanted to keep meals as simple as possible. I made a big batch of chicken salad before we left, which worked great for easy lunches on the go.
One night, I threw together a quick garlic butter shrimp and served it over rice with garlic bread and a Caesar salad. I had made the Caesar dressing ahead of time, so it all came together fast without much cleanup. When we’re packing so much into the day, meals like that make life a whole lot easier.
Chicken Salad
This chicken salad gets better as it sits in the fridge. It’s creamy, a little tangy, and has just enough crunch from celery and onions. It’s perfect for scooping onto crackers, stuffing into a croissant, or just eating straight from the container with a fork when you're too tired to make a plate.
You can find the recipe here 👉 Classic Chicken Salad
4-Ingredient Garlic Butter Shrimp
This garlic butter shrimp couldn’t be easier. I layer raw shrimp with melted butter, garlic, fresh lemons, and a packet of zesty Italian dressing mix, then bake it all in one pan until the shrimp are cooked through and the sauce is buttery and full of flavor. Serve it over rice or pasta with some garlic bread to soak up every last bit of that sauce.
Recipe Below 👇
Servings: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (tails on or off)
1 packet zesty Italian dressing mix
2 lemons, thinly sliced (zest one before slicing to add to the garlic butter)
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Mince two garlic cloves and zest one of the lemons.
Place the stick of butter in a 9x13-inch baking dish and pop it in the oven just until the butter starts to melt. It doesn’t need to be fully melted yet—just soft enough to stir.
Carefully remove the dish from the oven and stir in the minced garlic and lemon zest. Put it back in the oven for another minute or two, just until the butter is fully melted and the garlic is starting to sizzle and smell amazing.
Take the dish out and layer the shrimp evenly over the garlic butter. Sprinkle the zesty Italian seasoning packet over the shrimp, then lay the lemon slices right on top.
Return the dish to the oven and bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink, opaque, and cooked through.
Caesar Salad with a Quick and Easy Homemade Caesar Dressing
This quick Caesar dressing packs all the flavor of the classic without the hassle. It comes together in five minutes with just a handful of ingredients—no blender, no raw egg, no anchovies. It’s creamy, garlicky, and has that punchy, salty bite you want in a good Caesar. I usually make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for salads or wraps during the week.
You can find the recipe here 👉 Simple Caesar Salad
You’ll find these recipes—plus plenty more—on the blog, complete with step-by-step photos and easy-to-follow instructions.
Quote of the week
“Some trips go exactly as planned. Others give you better stories.”- Unknown
You’ll see exactly why this quote is so relevant in next week’s issue.
What’s Coming Next Week
Next week, I’ll be sharing the second half of our Big Bend trip—where we stayed, what we saw, and all about our little hiking adventure. We also made a stop in Marfa and ate dinner at a little spot called Angel’s, where I had the most delicious chile relleno. It wasn’t fancy, but it hit the spot.
I’ve already started working on a cheater version that’s easy to make at home—no deep frying required. I’ll be sharing that recipe with the rest of the trip details next week!
Reader Spotlight
This week’s shout-out goes to Joe, who emailed to say he made my Chicken Paprikash in his camper last weekend while camping in Colorado.
“My Hungarian mom always made paprikash, so I had a pretty high bar to reach. I was very impressed with the flavor. It was very close to my mom’s. I love that I can make this in the Instant Pot.”
His email made my day!
Have any of you visited the Caverns of Sonora? What did you think? Amazing right?!
If you try one of my recipes, I’d love to hear what you think. Snap a photo and share it below. I’d love to feature you in a future issue.
Well, guys, that’s all I’ve got for now! Wishing you a fantastic week ahead. If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend!
Spread the word – Invite a fellow food lover or travel enthusiast to join us on this journey.
And if you try a recipe, have a question, or just want to say hello, drop a comment below—I’d truly love to hear from you! ❤️
~Holly
History. (n.d.). https://www.cavernsofsonora.com/history
I loved reading this! I had never heard of the caverns of Sonora and now I want to go! They look spectacular!